Body Shops

Top-to-toe tune-ups for the urban male.

By John Coyle

Sample the Condiments

Mustard Bath

Been hitting it a little hard? Maybe it’s time for a mustard detox bath. Mustard is known for its restorative qualities, and the Nordstrom Spa offers a savory soak infused with the stuff in a large European tub equipped with 70 jets. The private rooms are spacious enough not to feel cramped, and just small enough to heat up when the tub gets cooking. At 30 minutes, this is quick enough to slip in at lunchtime. Grab a hot dog afterward.

Rough It Up

Man Scrub

Of course, ambient Japanese zither music fits perfectly within Spaahh Asian-infused environs. But if you’re in the mood for something else—anything else—all the scrub rooms have hookups for your iPod. So while you’re being exfoliated with a cocktail of warm sea salt, rubbed with frankincense, and finished with a lemongrass toner, you could be rocking out to the Ramones. Afterward, your clothes will feel like they’re lined with silk.

Photo: Andy Reynolds

Relax to the max at Jeremy Todd.

Rubbed the Right Way

AromaLomi Hot Stone Massage

Located in the majestic Fairmont Olympic Hotel, the intimate Jeremy Todd salon absorbed the men-only Chairman Spa last year, so the therapists here are experienced at catering to men’s specific needs. Go for the AromaLomi massage, which combines the rich lavender and citrus scents of French aromatherapy with the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage technique, where harmonious, uninterrupted strokes promote maximum relaxation and release hidden tension.

Roll in the Mud

Rejuvenating Body Mud Wrap

Without one mud treatment under your belt, you can’t be a truly metropolitan man. The Body Mud Wrap at Banya 5 starts with a light massage, then you’re painted with a toxin-leeching mud paste and swaddled in muslin cloth. For the better part of an hour, you’re happily mummified while your feet are pumiced smooth and you receive a cleansing facial. What a great way to get dirty.

Get Stoned

Pompeii Lava Rock Pedicure

“Sport pedicures” are for guys who feel funny about having their toes done. Sink into one of the reclining pedicure stations at Pro Sports Club, and ask for the Pompeii Lava Rock version. It’s the same as a sport—with the soak, nail shaping, and paraffin dip—but adds a penetrating hot stone massage for your feet and calves. It might actually make you want to show off your formerly ugly feet.

PLUS:
An all-natural, all-over guide to destress, detoxity, and retune